Beverages comprising high quantities of fibers, pulp, or other particulates have generally been dispensed into containers by special fillers. Such fillers are typically designed for non-carbonated beverages NCBs). Correspondingly, the packaging process of carbonated beverages has been carried out on separate, counterpressure fillers such as carbonated soft-drink (CSD) fillers. The packaging of dairy products also has generally been carried out on fillers separate from counterpressure fillers for drinks such as carbonated beverages. Therefore, a bottling plant which produces both non-carbonated beverages comprising particulates and carbonated soft-drinks must utilize both the special fillers for the pulpous beverages and counterpressure fillers for the CSDs. Likewise, a bottling plant which produces both beverages containing dairy components and carbonated soft-drinks must utilize both the fillers for the beverages containing diary components and counterpressure fillers for the CSDs.
Attempts to use counterpressure fillers to dispense beverages comprising particulates having an average size over about 3 millimeters (mm) and comprising particulates in an amount of about 0.5% by weight of the beverage have resulted in particulate buildup inside the counterpressure filling equipment. The particulate buildup clogs counterpressure filling equipment and leads to malfunctioning of the filing equipment. For example, clogged counterpressure filling valve vent tubes dispense unequal volumes of the beverage being dispensed into the beverage containers. Thus, the residual fiber clogs must be removed from the counterpressure filler equipment by cleaning-in-place (CIP) procedures which result in a shorter operational up-time. In addition, the residual fiber clogs result in particulate and product loss.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simple and economically desirable method and apparatus for packaging beverages comprising particulates in a liquid with counterpressure fillers without the above mentioned shortcomings. In addition, there is a need for a simple and economically desirable method and apparatus for packaging beverages comprising dairy components and CSDs.